Bail joint



E. E- ERICKSON RAIL JOINT Filed April 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A v 7 l7lnwmtbr E-m FZ'rz'cbo Oct. 18. 1927. ms?

E. E. ERICKSON RAIL JOINT Filed April 18, 1927 2 SheetsSheet 2 Inventor237% f zz-205014.

UNITED ERICK E. E RIGKSON', OF SCANDIA, KANSAS.

RAIL JOINT.

Application filed'April 18, 192?. Serial No. 184,661.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in railjoints, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a simpleand eflicient meansfor assembling rails without the necessity ofemploying fish plates and bolts.

Another object of the invention 18 to provide a simple and eflicienttype of ra1l oint that may be easily assembled or disconnected withoutemploying special tools and appliances to accomplish this purposeAofurther object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is easily and simply constructed, inexpensive tomanufacture, and one which will be very eflicient in operation.

A still further very important ob ect of r the invention lies in theprovision of a rail joint of this nature, which is strong and durable.and thoroughly rigid, so as to pre vent peeling of the rail balls.

With the above and numerous other ob-.

jects in View, as will appear as the description proceeds, the inventionresides in certain novel features of construction, and in thecombination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint embodying the features ofmy invention,

Figure 2 is a similar view thereof, showing one rail in a position to beengaged with the other rail,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one end of one rail,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the adjacent endof another rail,

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on theline 5-5 of F igure 1, and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a cradlefor supporting the rail joint and preventing the disconnection thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the letter Adenotes one end of one rail, the letter B denotes the adjacent end ofanother rail. Each rail consists of the usual ball 5, web 6 and flanges7, forming the base. The web 6 of the rail A is extended beyond theextremity of the ball 5 thereof, as are also the base flanges. The upperedge of-the extended portion of the web 6 of the rail A is denotedspecifically by the numeral 8, and the upper edge thereof has a V-shapednotch 9 formed therein. The

extremity of the ball 5 of the rail A is provided with a V-shaped notch10. Qffset wings 11 project from the web 6 of the rail A and V-shapedprojections 12 depend from the notched end 10, into the spaces betweenthe offset wings 11 and the web 6. V-shaped projections 13 rise from theflanges 7 adjacent the sloping extremity edge 14 of the web end 8.

Referring now to the other rail B, it will be seen that the ball 5thereof extends beyond the base flanges 7 thereof and terminates in aV-shaped extremity 15 adapted to be received in the V-shaped notch 10and has a depending V-shaped projection 16 adapted to be received in thenotch 9. Spaced parallel co-extensive plates 17 project from the web 6of the rail B to straddle the web end 8, and have curved forward edges18 to be received between the Wings 11 and the web end 8 and the upperedges are formed with V-shaped notches 19 to receive the V-shapedprojections 12.

In order to engage the rail B with the rail A, the rail B is disposed inan upward ly slanting position from the rail A as is shown in Figure 2,whereby it may be readily engaged therewith, to the extent shown, andthen may be lowered to a horizontal position in relation to the rail A.In order to prevent disconnection of the joints thus formed, I provide acradle G, which comprises a base plate 20, having the sides thereofcurved over itself along the longitudinal edges as is indicated at 21and merging into rising flanges 22, which are securely braced by webs23. This cradle is slid into engagement with the flanges 7 of the rail Ain the position shown in Figure 2 and then may be positioned as shown inFigure 1. In this latter position, it engages the flanges 7 of the railB, thus preventing the disalignment of the rails A and B, and thuspreventing their disconnection at the joint formed.

It is thought that the construction, utility and advantages of thisinvention will now be quite apparent to those skilled in this art,without a more detailed description thereof.

The present embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detailmerely by way of example, since in actual practice it attains thefeatures of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of theinvention and the above description.

It is apparent that changes in the details sacrificing any of itsadvantages.

The ala'tes 17 are stren thened )reterabl T by means of out ardlydirected longitudinally extending reinforcement ribs 2 1, and notchesare provided in the bottom edges thereof to receive the risingprojection 13.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

l. A rail joint of the class described, comprising abutting rail ends,one of said rail ends formed with an extended web and tended baseflanges, and the other rail end being formed with a pair of placeextending from its web and an extended ball, the extremities of theplates being disposed beyond the extremity of the ball, the ball of thefirst rail having a V-shaped notch and the ball of the second railhaving a V-shaped projection to fit therein, and also having a dependingV-shaped projection to lit into a V-shaped notch in the upper edge ofthe web extension.

2. A 'ail joint of the class described, comprising abutting rail ends,one of said rail ends formed with an extended. web and extended baseflanges, and the other rail end being iormed with a. pair of platesextending from its web and an extended ball, the extremities of theplates being disposed be yond the extremity of the ball, the ball of thefirst rail having a V-shaped notch and the ball of the second railhaving a V-shaped projection to fit therein, and also having a dependingV-shaped projection to tit into a V-shaped notch in the upper edge ofthe Web extension, the ball of the first rail having a pair of dependingprojections one on each side of the web to be received in V- shapednotches formed in the upper edges of the plates.

3. A rail joint of the class described, comprising abutting rail ends,one of said rail ends formed with an extended web and extended. baseflanges, and the other rail end being formed with a pair of platesextending from its web and an extended ball, the extremities of theplates being disposed beyond the extremity of the ball, the ball of thelirst rail having a V-shaped notch and the ball of the second railhaving a V-shaped projection to tit therein, and also having a dependingV-shaped projection to fit into a V-shaped notch in the upper edge ofthe web extension, the ball of the first rail having a pair of dependingprojections, one on each side of the web to be received in V- shapednotches formed in the upper edges of the plates, the extended flanges ofthe first end having rising projections to be received in notches formedin the lower edges of the plates.

4-. A rail joint of the class described, com abutting rail ends, one ofsaid rail ends formed with an extended web and extended base flanges,and the other rail end being formed with a pair of plates extending fromits web and an extended ball, the x ll'Gl'DltlES of the plates beingdisposed beyond the extremity of the ball, the ball of the first railhaving a V-shaped notch and the ball of the second rail having aV'-shaped projection to fit therein, and also having a dcpendin gV-shaped projection to fit into the V-shaped notch in the upper edge ofthe web extension, the ball of the first rail having a pair of dependingprojections one on each side of the Web to be received in V- shapednotches formed in the upper edges of the plates, the extended flanges ofthe first end. having rising projections to be received in notchesformed in the lower edges of the plates, the web of the first railhaving wings formed on the sides thereof to receive the forward edges ofthe plates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ERICK E. ERICK'SON.

